Method and apparatus for accounting

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for use in accounting for sales and purcheses of items at an auction. Each bidder is assigned a number. The identifying number is recorded on both parts of a two part identification tag. One part is retained by the bidder for use at the auction. The second part is marked with the bidder&#39;&#39;s name and address and is stored in numerical order during the auction. The sale of each item is recorded on a sales slip, which is stored with the second part of the bidder&#39;&#39;s identification tag during the auction, as well as on a permanent sales record. After the auction, the second part of the bidder&#39;&#39;s identification tag and the sales slips are used to record the dollar amount of the sales on a duplicate settlement slip. One copy of the duplicate sales settlement slip plus the sales slips are returned to the purchasing bidder while the other copy of the duplicate sales slip plus the second part of the bidder&#39;&#39;s identification tag are stored in numerical sequence as a permanent record of the sales.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,837,682

Feller Sept. 24, 1974 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 860,068 2/1961 Great Britain 282/23 R ACCOUNTING [76] Inventor: Arthur G. Feller, Box 267, Cissna Primary Examiner-Jerome Schnall Park, Ill- 6092 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Molinare, Allegretti, Newitt 22 Filed: July 20, 1973 Wltwfi [21] Appl. No.: 381,026

Related US. Application Data [5 7] ABSTRACT 63 C fS N. 154275 J 18, l97l, 1 851 22 22 er 0 une A method and apparatus for use in accounting for sales and purcheses of items at an auction. Each bid- 52 US. (:1. 282/8 R, 282/1 R, 282/27 R, der is assigned a number- The identifying number is 283/19 283/55, 283/60 recorded on both parts of a two part identification tag. 51 1m. (:1 B41] 1/00, B411 1/22 one P is retained by the bidder for use at the [58] Field of Search 40/15, 19.5; 282/8 R, tiers The second p is marked with the bidders 2 2/ A, 8 B, 8 C, 11 22 R, 23 2 3/1 name and address and is stored in numerical order 19, 21, 55, 6O 48, 5 during the auction. The sale of each item is recorded on a sales slip, which is stored with the second part of 5 References Cited the bidders identification tag during the auction, as well as on a permanent sales record. After the auction, UNITED STATES PATENTS the second part of the bidders identification tag and $1 2 333 i igg; B g 3 the sales slips are used to record the dollar amount of 1 25808l 341918 isf the sales on a duplicate settlement slip. One copy of l626883 5/1927 40/195 the duplicate sales settlement slip plus the sales slips 1:637:l56 7 1927 Mirski 283/18 ux are returned to the Purchasing bidder While the other 1,998,858 4 1935 Bach 40 195 x PY 0f the duplicate sales p P the Second P of 2,132,079 /1938 Miller /195 the bidders identification tag are stored in numerical 2,668,065 2/1954 English et a1. 282/23 R sequence as a permanent record of the sales. 3,596,388 8/l97] Shorten 283/ FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures 309,700 4/1929 Great Britain 40/195 I55 156 I57 158 159 160 161 W 9 9 V 9 9 9 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACCOUNTING This is a continuation, of appliction Ser. No. 154,275, filed June 18, 1971 now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for accounting for sales and purchases of items at an auction.

An object of this invention is to improve record management procedures at an auction.

Another object is to improve the reliability of records kept at an auction.

Another object is to simplify the record keeping at an auction.

Another object is to shorten the time required for settlement with the purchasers at an auction.

Other objects may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial, side elevational view of a storage board for bidders identification tags;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a bidders identification and display card;

FIG. 3 is a view of a sheet of attached sales slips FIG. 4 is a view of a master sales sheet;

FIG. 5 is a view of a buyers settlement ticket in duplicate; and FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a storage device for records of completed transactions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus or auction sales kit used in connection with the method of this invention is depicted in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a storage board 11 which is used for storing bidders identification tags and sales slips while the auction is in progress and until final settlement is made. Supported on the board and aligned in rows are hooks 13. Each hook is identified by a separate consecutive number such as number 141 identified at 15 in FIG. 1. Although only one storage board 11 having a single row of hooks has been shown, it should be understood that any necessary number of storage boards and rows of hooks may be provided depending on the number of persons expected to attend the auction. It should also be understood that generally the numbering systems for the hooks will start with number 1 and continue as high as necessary.

A bidders identification and display card 21 is shown in FIG. 2. This card is made in two sections which are detachably connected to each other along a line of per forations 23. The upper portion 25 of the 'card as viewed in FIG. 2 has an area for receiving a numeral identifying the bidder. The lower and detachable tag portion 27 of the card contains an identifying number, generally printed thereon, indicated by the numeral 29. The identifying number in this example being 141. The detachable tag portion 27 of the display card also includes indicia 31 and 33 designating areas for respectively recording the bidders name and address. Also formed in the tag portion of the display card is an aperture or punched hole 35 which is located at one of the smaller ends thereof. The numeral display portion 25 of the display card has a pair of punched holes 37 near the top thereof through which is passed a safety pin 39 to provide for attachment of the display card to the clothing of the bidder.

The sales slips 45 are shown in FIG. 3. A number of sales slips, seven in this example, are connected to each other along a line of perforations 47 to form a sheet 49 of detachable sales slips. The sales slip 45 at one end of the sheet is connected by a line of perforations 47 to a binder tab 51 while the sales slip at the opposite end of the sheet is connected by a line of perforations 47 to a totalizer tab 53. lndicia 54 designates the total of the sale prices of the items on sales slips 45. However, this information is generally not filled in on tab 53, but the designated indicia is printed here so that it will also appear at the bottom of the master sales sheet which will be described later. Each sales slip has indicia 55, 57 and 59, respectively designating a space in which to list the item purchased, the buyers identification number and the price of the item. A punched hole 61 is formed in each sales slip 45 near one end thereof. A punched hole 63 is formed in the top sales slip near the top edge thereof. The totalizer tab 53 is not necessary to the functions of the sales slips but, as previously mentioned, is provided so that the sales slips sheet 49 and the Master sales sheet 65, hereinafter described, may be printed from the same type.

Master sales sheet 65 is shown in FIG. 4. It consists of a single sheet 67 equal in area to the area of all of the sales slips 45 of the sheet 49 plus the area of the totalizer tab 53. This sheet is unperforated except along the line of perforations 69 which connects it to binder tab 71. This sheet has spaces 73 corresponding in size and shape to each of the sales slips 45 and each of these spaces has designating indicia 75, 77 and 79 identical to those of the sale slips.

Each sales slip space 73 also has a punched hole 81 which aligns with the punched hole 61 in a sales slip when the sheets 49 and 65 are connected by gluing their respective binder tags 51, 71 together. The punched holes 81 have no function in the master sales sheet but are formed when the holes 61 are formed in the sales slips. When the sheets are connected together, the punched hole 63 in the sheet 51 also aligns with the punched hole 83 in the sheet 67. A master sales sheet also has a totalizer space 85 having indicia 87 designating a space in which to list the total sales price of all the items entered in the sales slip spaces 73 on the sheet. An identifying number indicated by the numeral 89 may be printed on this sheet.

Carbon paper, now shown, may be provided between the sheet 49 of detachable sales slips and the master sales sheet 65 to transfer writings and other impressions from the sales slips to the master sales sheet. However, it is preferable to manufacture the sales slip of a car bonless transfer material such as is sold under the name NCR paper.

The buyers settlement ticket 91 shown in FIG. 5 includes a pair of duplicate sheets 93 each of which is connected by a line of perforations 95 to a binder tab 97. The binder tabs are glued to each other to hold the duplicate sheets together. Each sheet 93 includes an identifying number 99 and indicia 101, 103 and .105 designating spaces to receive the buyers number, the number of buyers tickets attached and the total dollar sales value of the buyers tickets. Also contained on the sheets 93 are indicia 107 and 109 designating areas to be marked to indicate if payment was by check or cash.

FIG. 6 shows a storage container 115 for storing settlement sheets 93 and the detachable tags 27 of the bidders display cards for completed transactions. The documents for each transaction are stored in separate pockets 117 of the storage container.

The use, operation and function of this invention are as follows:

The method and apparatus shown herein are particularly adaptable for accounting for sales and purchases of items at an auction where a large number of sales of many individual items are made to a multitude of different purchasers within a relatively short time. At the end of the auction, the purchasers wish to obtain the items they have purchased and the auctioneer wishes to receive payment from the purchasers in as short a period of time as possible consistent with the highest degree of accuracy in collecting the money due. The method and apparatus of my invention provides these advantages without the necessity of providing highly trained personnel or elaborate accounting machinery and devices. My method operates in the following manner:

Prospective purchasers sign up with the auctioneer before the auction. Each prospective purchaser is given a bidders display card 21. The detachable tag portion 27 of this card contains an identifying number. The prosepctive purchaser writes or prints his name and address on the tag portion of the card in the spaces desig nated by the indicia 31 and 33. The identifying number, which in this example is number 141, is written on the numeral display portion 25 of the display card. While identical numbers could be preprinted on both the dis play portion 25 and the detachable tag portion 27 of the card, it is advantageous to leave the display portion blank and write in the numberpwhen the number is written in, the auctioneer can vary the color of the number placed on the display portion 25 as a means of identification and also to prevent use of the display portion until after the prospective bidders name and address are filled in on the detachable tag portion of the display card.

When the detachable tag portion 27 is properly filled out by the prospective bidder, it is hung on a hook 13 of the storage board 11 under the numeral 15 corresponding to the identification number on the detachable portion. In this example, and as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the detachable tag portion 27 would be hung on the hook located under number 141 on the board.

When an item is sold by the auctioneer, a clerk would mark on a sales slip 45 in the spaces designated by the indicia 55, 57 and 59, the name of the item, the buyers identification number, which in this case would be number 141, and the price of the item. Since each sales slip is formed as part of a sheet 49 which rests on top of and is detachably connected to a master sales sheet 65 having corresponding sales slips spaces 73, the information is also transferred to the master index card next to the similar indicia designated spaces 75, 77 and 79 on the master sales sheet. The transfer of the recorded information from the sales slip 45 to the corresponding sales slip spaces 73 can be through the use of carbon paper or by manufacturing the sales slips 45 from a carbonless transfer paper.

After all of the sales slips 45 are filled in on a sheet 49 of sales slips, the individual sales slips are separated from the sheet by tearing along the perforations 47. The individual sales slips 45 are then placed on the storage board 11 on the hook holding the identification tag portion 27 of their respective bidder.

At the termination of the auction, the clerk can settle an account with a purchaser by simply going to the storage board 11 and removing all of the sales slips stored on the book along with the detachable tag portion 27 of the bidders display card. The clerk then takes the sales slips, totals the number of slips and the total purchase price of the items purchased and enters these amounts on a buyers settlement ticket 91 in the indicia designated spaces 101, 103 and 105. The clerk also marks either indicia designated spaces 107 or 109 to show whether the payment was by check or cash. This information is automatically recorded on the duplicate settlement slip sheet 93 through use of carbonless or carbon paper. One of the buyer settlement sheets 93 is removed from the duplicate set and given to the purchaser along with the sales slips 45. The settlement slip 93 plus the identifying tag portion 27 of the bidders display card is stored in a pocket 117 in a storage container 115. The master sales sheet are available to be given to the owner of the goods sold so that he may have a complete record of the goods sold at the auction.

Whereas, the preferred form of the invention has been described and shown, it should be understood that there are modifications, alterations and changes which may be made without departing from the teachings of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be only limited by the claims attached hereto.

1 claim:

1. An auction sales kit comprising, in combination:

a storage board;

a plurality of bidders display tags, each tag having means for attachment to the clothing of a single bidder.

each tag having a first portion containing said attachment means and a discrete bidders identification number,

each tag also having a detachable second portion formed as a part of said tag, said second portion also including said descrete bidders identification number of the first portion spaces to receive the name and address of the bidder and an opening for cooperation with hook means for retention on said storage board, said second portion being generally rectangular in shape;

said storage board having a plurality of spaced, consecutively numbered hook means for cooperating with the opening of said second portion to thereby support and store separate ones of said detachable second portions of said display tags, the number of the hook means being the same as the identification numbers on the tags;.each hook means receiving a second display tag portion having the same bidders identification number corresponding to the number of said hook means,

said hook means each including means to simultaneously store a plurality of items of the same general size and shape as said detachable second portions in stacked, overlayed relation;

a plurality of sales slips, each sales slip having the same general size and shape as said detachable second portion of said display tag, said sales slips also including an opening for cooperation with the storage board hook means the location of the opening in each sales slip being generally the same as the location of the opening in each detachable second portion so that said slips and portions are substantially superposed when stored in the same hook means, each said slip having an indicia designating area thereon for receiving the name of an item an identification number corresponding to one of the discrete numbers of said tag and the price of an item,

said sales slips being detachably connected to other similar slips to form a sheet of sales slips,

said sheet of sales slips being detachably positioned over a master sales sheet having a plurality of sections each corresponding in size and shape to a sales slip, said master sales sheet duplicating the indicia of the plurality of overlayed sales slips; and

separate settlement tickets arranged in pairs, one on top of the other, each settlement ticket including an identification number, indicia designating areas for receiving an identification number corresponding to the discrete number of one of the tags, the number of sales slips retained on the storage board by one of the hook means, and the dollar amounts of the purchase prices of the items on the sales slips charged to the bidder and retained by the same hook means. 

1. An auction sales kit comprising, in combination: a storage board; a plurality of bidder''s display tags, each tag having means for attachment to the clothing of a single bidder. each tag having a first portion containing said attachment means and a discrete bidder''s identification number, each tag also having a detachable second portion formed as a part of said tag, said second portion also including said descrete bidder''s identification number of the first portion spaces to receive the name and address of the bidder and an opening for cooperation with hook means for retention on said storage board, said second portion being generally rectangular in shape; said storage board having a plurality of spaced, consecutively numbered hook means for cooperating with the opening of said second portion to thereby support and store separate ones of said detachable second portions of said display tags, the number of the hook means being the same as the identification numbers on the tags; each hook means receiving a second display tag portion having the same bidder''s identification number corresponding to the number of said hook means, said hook means each including means to simultaneously store a plurality of items of the same general size and shape as said detachable second portions in stacked, overlayed relation; a plurality of sales slips, each sales slip having the same general size and shape as said detachable second portion of said display tag, said sales slips also including an opening for cooperation with the storage board hook means the location of the opening in each sales slip being generally the same as the location of the opening in each detachable second portion so that said slips and portions are substantially superposed when stored in the same hook means, each said slip having an indicia designating area thereon for receiving the name of an item an identification number corresponding to one of the discrete numbers of said tag and the price of an item, said sales slips being detachably connected to other similar slips to form a sheet of sales slips, said sheet of sales slips being detachably positioned over a master sales sheet having a plurality of sections each corresponding in size and shape to a sales slip, said master sales sheet duplicating the indicia of the plurality of overlayed sales slips; and sEparate settlement tickets arranged in pairs, one on top of the other, each settlement ticket including an identification number, indicia designating areas for receiving an identification number corresponding to the discrete number of one of the tags, the number of sales slips retained on the storage board by one of the hook means, and the dollar amounts of the purchase prices of the items on the sales slips charged to the bidder and retained by the same hook means. 